“I highly recommend Kim to anyone looking for a real estate agent. I have bought and sold many houses during my career. Kim is by far the best real estate agent I have used. I recommend Kim for several reasons:
First, Kim will not pressure you into a transaction. Every agent I used before Kim would try and push me into a transaction to get the commission – the sooner the sale, the less work for the agent. Not Kim. She listened to what my wife and I wanted. She did not push us. She was very deferential to our preferences and facilitated them rather than making us feel bad for taking our time.
Second, Kim has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Hillsborough real estate market. Hillsborough is a complex market, with wide variance in prices because of many “submarkets” within the Town. Kim was effective at helping us understand the reasons for price variations – what houses were overpriced or underpriced for their particular submarket. This greatly helped us bring some sense to the wide variation in prices and properties in Hillsborough.
Third, unlike the vast majority of agents, Kim is a lawyer and specialized in real estate law before transitioning her career. As a fellow lawyer, practicing 23 years, I can tell you that Kim knows real estate and contract law very well. Whether you are buying or selling, Kim knows where the risks are and how to avoid them. Here too, this stands in stark contrast to most real estate agents, who tend to gloss over problems or potential risks associated with a property rather than point them out and make sure you are aware of and comfortable with them.
Fourth, Kim is very hands on in helping with the sale or purchase of a property. During our sale, Kim personally helped us get the house ready for sale and gave us advice on how to stage the house effectively. During our purchase of a home, Kim went with us for every meeting and personally reviewed the inspection reports and walked the property with us. If you hire Kim, you will get Kim – not an assistant who is learning the ropes.
Finally, and importantly, Kim is very easy to work with and has a great personality. With Kim’s help, we successfully completed two transactions during a hard time in the real estate market. Throughout the process, it was a pleasure to work with Kim and she was always positive. “
- Charles K. Verhoeven, Esq.
Head of Northern California Offices
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
“Kim Gelman is an extraordinarily professional and personable agent. She listened carefully as we outlined the ideal home and our needs and always kept our best interest in mind throughout the entire sales process. She was referred by a former work colleague. I received two strong referrals and since we were looking for a home from another state decided to try with both agents to see who would work best for us. There was no comparison; while we had never met Kim, only spoken to her on the phone, she showed us strictly the type of home we had described and did not waste our time with homes that did not fit with what we were looking for. Her instinct is great and kept us from going after a home she felt the seller would never actually sell (which turned out to be exactly as she predicted). She is part of the community and knows when houses are going for sale long before they are listed. We ended up with just what we were looking for – a beautiful Spanish home in the best part of Burlingame which we got for a very competitive price. We recommend Kim as a professional of the highest integrity and as a person who is fun, down to earth and who keeps it real in a very unreal market.”
- Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence R. Lustig
“Working with Kim was really a pleasure. Her legal background was apparent in her ability to negotiate, her attention to details and her knowledge of contracts.
We’ve worked with Kim as both buyers and sellers over the past three years and we were impressed and pleased with the results. Kim was professional, honest, and incredibly hard working. It was great to work with someone who knows the area and can offer honest and sound advice. She really did a great job of marketing and staging our home and was able to attract multiple offers well over our initial asking price! When it came time to buy a property in Hillsborough Kim did a great job of listening to our needs and wishes. She persevered and found us the perfect property.
We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kim to our friends and family looking to buy or sell homes on the Peninsula. We are confident that you can do no
better!”
- Lisa and Michael Rubenstein
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Kim helped us through a key transitional time in my mother’s life by selling our mother’s home before moving into a retirement community. My three siblings and I didn’t know much about real estate; Kim was diligent in making sure we understood everything we needed to know and guided us with respect, care, and a strong eye for detail from the preparation through closing stages. She came fully informed about the market, with advice on how to prepare the house according to our budget, how best to price, and—just as importantly—how NOT to price ourselves out of receiving healthy offers.
The short story is that Kim sold my mother’s home in a tough market, in one week, with multiple offers, and well over the asking price. We were thrilled! The longer story…she rolled up her sleeves and handled EVERYTHING. What a relief, because none of us live in town. Kim stepped in and arranged for very reasonably priced professionals for landscaping, repairs, painting, staging, storage, and even hauling (and made sure we approved of each one first). She also oversaw and managed all the work, which was again a huge plus and a relief. She did just what she said she’d do and returned calls and emails promptly. And she did it all with great care for my mother’s needs and a down-to-earth but energized can-do attitude.
My brother, sisters and I all feel we couldn’t have been in better hands. Thanks to Kim, a big change in my mother’s life went seamlessly. I would highly recommend Kim without hesitation.
Peter Stein
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Letter of Thanks from a Corporate Relocation Specialist
Dear Kim:
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help in connection with the successful marketing and sale of the Dunbar property at 478 Marin Drive, Burlingame. From the onset, you demonstrated a keen desire to understand and satisfy the requirements of both the Dunbars and Burgdorff Realtors, Corporate Relocation Management. Your market insights and business savvy contributed strongly to achieving our mutual goal of selling the property for the best terms, in the shortest amount of time, with the least inconvenience.
Once again, I would like to compliment you on your excellent service, Kim. Your professionalism embodies the spirit of personal and complete assistance, for which many agents strive but seldom achieve.
Very truly yours,
Joan Wislotski, CRP, GMS
Senior Corporate Properties Manager
Thank You Note from First Time Home Buyer
Thank you for your help throughout the whole process. We were really glad to have had you on our team, coaching us through each step, and we feel like you really listened and responded to our questions and concerns. We couldn’t have asked for a better agent, especially in our first home buying experience. Again, a Big Thank You! You’re Awesome!
Emily and Anthony
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